Why is it important to interview involved persons alone at the crash scene?

Interviewing involved persons alone at the crash scene is crucial for several reasons that enhance the quality and reliability of the information gathered. Conducting individual interviews helps to minimize the potential for confusion that can arise when individuals coalesce and share their narratives. When people are interviewed together, their memories and accounts can influence one another, leading to inconsistencies or a skewed version of events.

By engaging each involved person separately, an investigator can obtain a clearer, more accurate version of events without the risk of individuals altering their accounts based on the inputs or reactions of others. This approach helps in maintaining the integrity of the investigation, ensuring that each person's perspective is documented independently, fostering a comprehensive understanding of the crash dynamics.

While the availability of witnesses and the verification of stories are important aspects of an investigation, they do not directly address the primary need for clarity and accuracy that comes from individual interviews. Intimidating potential suspects also does not align with standard investigative practices and can compromise the integrity of the inquiry, leading to defensive or false responses. Thus, the focus on gathering accurate, untainted information through separate conversations stands as the key rationale for this practice.